Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the additional resources required to enable effective implementation of the national protocol on reducing unnecessary criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers by Youth Offending Teams, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, and local Youth Panels.

The National Protocol on Reducing Unnecessary Criminalisation of Looked-after Children and Care Leavers does not place any new statutory burdens on local authorities, the police, or other agencies. Positive practice improvements will ultimately see benefits for young people and the services on which they rely.

The Protocol has been developed with leaders from across the children’s social care, health and criminal justice sectors and endorsed as a positive step forward. We recognise that children who offend are often very vulnerable, with multiple and complex needs and difficulties, and are pleased to have fed into the Protocol.